This invention relates to stowage devices for stowing on pallets, etc., workpieces or articles for shipment, etc., wherein the number of workpieces of each kind stowed on a pallet is determined in accordance with shipment information.
As disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 61-33426, a stowage system is known in which after stowing schedules are automatically formed by a scheduling device in accordance with arbitrarily given dimensions of articles of a plurality of kinds, articles of respective kinds are marshaled and then stowed by an industrial robot on pallets in accordance with the stowing schedule. The number of articles of respective kinds stowed on each pallet is determined in accordance with shipment information, etc. The system is in need of a separate marshaling device for marshaling beforehand the stowed articles, in addition to a supply and a stowage device of the articles.
Such a conventional stowing system, however, still has the following disadvantages. First, the system is complicated and incurs much installation cost. Second, it is difficult to realize a higher speed of stowage. Third, the system is in need of a wide open space for the stowage. Fourth, the stowing of a fractional number of articles of respective kinds may result in an un-balanced and unstable form of the stowed articles on the pallets, and the stowing operations may be troublesome.